Blair & Barker

Jeff and Kevin kick off the show discussing the Houston Astros' 13-4 rout of the Boston Red Sox before moving on to the Blue Jays’ 3-0 win over the Seattle Mariners, led by Jose Berrios’ seven strong innings and George Springer’s base-clearing triple. Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi joins the guys to talk about Springer’s impact to the Blue Jays’ clubhouse both on and off the field and addresses who needs to step up in the bullpen with Tim Mayza’s injury (26:49).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff and Kevin open the show with an extended edition of Barker’s Back Leg Bits and discuss what they need to see out of Jose Berrios in his start tonight against the Mariners after an inconsistent beginning to the 2022 campaign (01:36). Next up, Mariners' analyst and former MLB infielder Mike Blowers comments on how the Jays matchup with tonight’s starter Logan Gilbert, his impressions of Yusei Kikuchi during his stint in Seattle, and how Robbie Ray has started the season with his new team (27:10).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 6-2 win over the Seattle Mariners, which featured another quality start from Yusei Kikuchi. The guys discuss the adjustments Kikuchi has made on the mound, the batting order returning to how it was, and concerns about Tim Mayza’s injury and who will step up in the bullpen. Later on, MLB Network analyst Bill Ripken discusses how great players break out of hitting slumps and what he’s noticed from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette offensively and defensively a month into the season (27:44).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Former Seattle second baseman and current podcast host Bret Boone talks about the 2022 edition of the Mariners ahead of the team’s three-game series against the Blue Jays. The former All-Star also shares his views on the Blue Jays and how his brother Aaron has managed the Yankees to a 25-9 record to this point in the season (01:52). Dunedin Blue Jays Manager Donnie Murphy joins the show to recap an epic performance from his pitching staff after they struck out 24 batters in a game over the weekend (28:24).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker assess the Blue Jays' series loss against the Tampa Bay Rays, where they dropped two of three games at Tropicana Field. The guys discuss Alek Manoah’s first loss of the 2022 season, the returns of Danny Jansen and Hyun-Jin Ryu, and the changes to the Blue Jays' batting order, notably with Guerrero Jr. hitting second and Bo Bichette being dropped to the cleanup spot. Later on, the guys look at how the other teams In The East fared over the weekend, and discuss how the Reds managed to lose to the Pirates, despite not allowing a hit (29:08).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Blue Jays First Base Coach Mark Budzinski joins Blair and Barker to discuss how the Rays will challenge Toronto this weekend, the team's increased use of a four-man outfield, and takes us inside the strategy of coaching the team on the base paths (02:01). Afterwards, Tampa Bay Rays TV analyst (and die-hard Maple Leafs fan) Brian Anderson previews the Jays-Rays series and explains what they Blue Jays can expect from the Rays’ pitching staff, notably Friday’s starter Drew Rasmussen (24:52).  

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

With the Blue Jays and Rays ready to begin a three-game series at Tropicana Field - Jeff & Kevin look at how Toronto’s top hitters have fared in Tampa Bay and how opposing pitchers are attacking the Blue Jays’ right-handed hitters this season. Later on, ESPN’s Joon Lee joins to discuss the change of opinion surrounding PitchCom technology across MLB and how teams have embraced it more than a month into the season (30:41).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

MLB Network Analyst and former Houston Astros Manager Bo Porter shares his thoughts on offence being down across MLB, the pressure that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and other star players put on themselves to be great, and the frustration towards umpires in the early-going of the season (01:43). ESPN's MLB Insider Jeff Passan talks about the Blue Jays' current struggles, why he’s not concerned about their starting pitching, their search for a lefty bat, and if the Nationals’ Josh Bell would be a good fit for Toronto’s batting order (26:26).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker assess the damage after the Blue Jays' mini two-game sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees. They discuss the team failing to take advantage of a suspect first inning from Jameson Taillon, Vladimir Guerrero Jr’s frustration at the plate, and what they thought of Jose Berrios’ 5.1 innings of work. Later on, David Adler of MLB.com takes a deep-dive into how the Blue Jays set up defensively and explains the reasoning why they have used a four-man outfield more than any team this season (30:53).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Blair & Barker are joined by Sportsnet’s Dan Shulman ahead of his call of New York-Toronto at Yankee Stadium to preview the series and the Blue Jays' continuing to search for a lefty bat (01:06). Later on, Talkin’ Yanks host Jake Storiale comments on the current state of the Yankees including: Jose Trevino’s impact behind the plate, Aaron Judge’s contract status being a hot topic in New York, and the pleasant surprises they’ve received in the rotation and bullpen (30:19).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.